Cross Country Preview
August 01, 2006 04:45 PM | General
August 1, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Mountaineer cross country coach Sean Cleary is eagerly anticipating the 2006 season. The second-year mentor is eager to get the bad taste out of his mouth from a tough 2005 campaign and returns plenty of experience from a squad that got its first glimpse of cross country at the highest level. The team, however, will continue to keep its youthful look, having a combined 10 redshirt and true freshmen on this year’s roster.
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| Maria Stover is one of a handful of veterans coach Sean Cleary is counting on this season.
Big East photo |
“We want to run faster and place higher than we did a year ago,” Cleary says. “Although we will still be very young, we will continue what we have done here - improve.”
Three juniors - Nicole Lemal, Maria Stover, and Nicole Dorinzi - will try to fill the void left by former NCAA national qualifier Susan Davis. Davis, an all-BIG EAST performer, was the unquestioned leader of 2005 and was recognized for her efforts by winning the Fred Schaus Captain’s Award, given to the Mountaineer student-athlete who best exhibits leadership on and off the field.
“Our three juniors will need to step up and continue what Susan did last year,” Cleary says. “Her focus taught this team’s future stars what is required in terms of sacrifice, discipline and desire to be great.”
Sophomore Alison Spiker will also be looked on to step up and make a larger contribution this year. Spiker was the team’s highest finisher at the Penn State National Open a year ago and took a 20th place finish at Lock Haven.
“Spiker showed that she can handle pressure last year on our distance medley relay squad in track,” Cleary says. “Should she find that same desire in cross country, she will lead the upperclassmen of Stover, Lemal and Dorinzi to the finest races of their lives.”
West Virginia’s only other non-freshman will be Wake Forest transfer Mandy McBean.
McBean enjoyed a productive freshman year with the Demon Deacons, placing 40th at the NCAA Southeast Regional and 130th at the NCAA Championships. McBean, a native of Scarborough, Ontario, will bring international experience to the team’s makeup. If she remains healthy, she could potentially step right in and pick up where Davis left off.
“Mandy has the potential to go down as one of the greatest runners to ever wear our uniform,” Cleary says. “My expectations for Mandy will be set at the highest standards. She’s a very exciting prospect who has passion for this sport that is second to none.”
Cleary welcomes five new recruits on campus to go with five more redshirt freshmen -- all competing for spots in the top seven. High expectations have been set for Canadian recruit Marie Louise Asselin to compete for a position right away. Local newcomers Keri Bland and Maria Dalzot also figure to be in the mix along with Ritchie County native Jamie Cokeley. Cleary will also have the talent of redshirt freshman Clara Grandt, who was forced to sit out last season with an injury.
“This recruiting class, in time, could be become one of the best that we have ever had at WVU,” Cleary says. “This class combined with the upperclassmen needs to get together and begin the journey back to the NCAA Championships.”
The Mountaineers will open the season with a home meet on Friday evening, September 1, before making four consecutive trips to the state of Pennsylvania for meets in Bethlehem, Lock Haven and State College. WVU will then have one final tune up at the Golden Flash Invitational in Kent, Ohio, before traveling to Boston, Mass., for the BIG EAST Championships on October 27.
“Typically, the NCAA regionals are held on rotating campuses,” Cleary says.” The emphasis of this schedule was to run at Penn State, Lock Haven and Lehigh’s course. We expect to be back at the NCAA Championships in time and want to know these courses well.”
The traditional powerhouses of the BIG EAST continue to dominate with the likes of Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence and Villanova all placing in the top five of last year’s conference meet. Cleary knows that his program hasn’t reached that level just yet, but is making strides toward the upper echelon of trail runners.
“From top to bottom, the BIG EAST conference is among the best in America,” Cleary says. “When a team makes it into the top five of this league, they usually run at the NCAA meet. So if we run with the best in our conference then our team will be national class, which is always our goal.”
